Compressor



Sept. 4, 1945.` w; R. FREEMAN Y 2,384,293

COMPRES SOR Filed May 2l, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 W .FREEMAN BY g v ATTORN;

Sept. 4, 1945.

w. R. FREEMAN COMPRESSOR Filed May 21, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 (E INVENTOR war-RENAN Sept 4 1945- y I w. R. FREEMAN 2,384,293

' 1 COMPRESSOR. y

Y Fild May 2l, 1945 y 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

` INVENTOR .FREEMAN BY l ATTQRNFY Sept. 4, 1945' COMPRESSOR d Filed May 21' 1943 4 Sheets-sh-/eet 4 AT1-ORN Y Aatented Sept. 4, 1945 y ooMPREssoR Waiter YR. Freeman: Clayton, Mo., assigno to Wagiiifnleoti Corporation, st. Louis,v Mo.; a

'corporation f Delaware ApplicatiuiiMay 21, 1943, Serial No. 487g863 9 Claims. (ci. 23o-24) My invention relates to compressors and more particularly to rotar-y compressors of the type pro'- vi'ded with a stationary stator and an ecc'entritally mounted rOt'l" provided With blades.

One :of the objects offrny invention is to so construct a rotary compressortnat it will be compact, easy' to manufacture,r assemble andi repair; and one ivhioh will also be eicierltin operation;

Another object of` my invention is to produce a rotary'compressor construction inwhich the nn'- loading valve mechanism is incorporated in' the stator body member.

Yet another object of my invention is to pro vide improved means for mounting and driving the rotor of a rotary compressor;

A still further objectA of my invention is to so construct a rotary compressor that external piping vvillnot be required for the various conduits associated with the stator, the rotor, the unloading valve mechanism, the oil reservoir, and the separator. Y

vOther objects of inyinvention will become apparent from the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings' in wliich Figure 1 is a top view of a -rotary compressor embodying my invention; Figure 2 is `a sectional View of the compressor taken on the line 2-2v of Figure l; Figure 3 is a sectional vievv taken on the line 3-3 ofA Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional View` taken' on the line 4 4 of Figure 2 and 'showing details of one end plate; Figures 5 and 6 are sectional Views taken on lines 5-5 andV 6'-6, respectively; of Figure 1 and showing vari- 'A ous' passages; and Figure 'lY is a partial sectional View Showing the oil separatorconstruc'tion.

' Referring to' thefdraiivings'r in detail; numeral I indicates a stator bodyinember having a cylindrical opening 2, the ends of which are closed by end plate members 3 and 4 bolted to the stator; The end plate member 3 isforin'edwith an extension 5 in which is provided a snaft receiving bore 6, the remaining portion being hollow to provide an oil'reservoir 1. Y

Received and l,supported in bore 6 is a rotor shaft `8 yhaving aiportion 9 extending into'opening 2 of the stator With1v its axis'e'ocentric to the axis of said stator opening. The portion of` the shaft positioned in bore 6 is hollow to forma chamber' III. The' open end of extension 5 on the end'plate is provided Withma cover plate Il held onthe extension by bolts I2. This cover is provided With an opening I3 in axial alignment with the shaft receiving bore 6 and extending into this openingisa threadedportion of a nut I4 ifor cooperation with internal threads on the end of shaft 8. The nut is e'mployedto 'close the hollow end o'f the shaft and toal'so draw the shoulder on the integralflange I5 of the' rotornshaft against the inner surfaceA of the end plate member 3` to 4 thus secure the shaft'agai'nst' any rotation in the eri-d` plate member; l

The portion 9 of thlshaft which projeotsi into the opening ofthefst'ator member has4 rotatably mounted thereon a rotor I6 provided witha cylin-r drical surface I1. This rotor is provided with four slots Isin which areslidably mounted'blades I9 as in well-known constructions. I i

The rotor and blades areadapted to be drivenb a driving shaft 20 mountedih the end plate inember 4 and axially aligned with the rotor shaft-8. The inner en'd of this driving shaft 2li-'is offy square formation and is reeeivd in'asquare" hole fin a connecting member 2 Il for-ming the bearing for the shaft. The inner end of member 2l: is provided witl'l axially proiecting teeth 22 which are'adapted t'o be received in slots 23 in the rotor to provide a readily detachabledri'vi'rig connection.-

drifvl ing shaft may be drivenffro'm any suitable source of powerand is snot/n as being providedftvitla pul1ey24. -A

In order to seal-the driving-snail; the exterior' of f the end plate nl'enbi' {has-bolted thereto'a plate so in which .is positioiena spring 3| whic'nfats through a. bau z against an ninsert inriiber 33y portion I6 of the shaft has mounted therein an oil filter cartridge 39 in the form of a cylinder and thus oil, in passing from holes 36 to passage 31,

must go through the oil filter.

As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the outlet port 40 of the compressor is positioned in the end plate member 3 and this port communicates with drilled passages 4| and,4.l2whichV lead to the inlet passage 43of an oil separator 44 which is bolted upon the portion of the end plate inember 3 above extension 5. This oil separator may.1 be of any desired construction but, as shown in" Figure '7, it comprises a body member 45Lsur" rounded by a cup-shaped shell 46. The body member is formed with a pluralityfofjgrooves'41j; v in its surface, which groovestogether with shell" 46, provide a conduit through which compressed air coming from the outlet port-may ow and have its direction changed in order to cause .the`

oil, which is carried by the air in small particles' and amist, tdbeseparated: from the/aire The` top groovev of grooves :41communicates-With the inlet. passage .43' of the separator so that Y the airy isV caused-to. pass A through the. various: groovesr 41 which'. communicate ,withgeachf .othen and Vform a continuous conduit to the'outlet/passage 48 of .the compressor;` This '-outlet,:passageV is adapted to y communicatevwithfthe top :of the oil* reservoir'1 throughfafpassage 1.4.9 inthe? end plate..

member (seeFigure 6). .The oilwhich1has;been separatedY by theseparatorfwill ow Lbaclr` into the oil reservointhrough passagesul and i49 and thefair from which theaoil 'hasbeen separated willpass out. ofthe top of the oil separator through opening 50 .(see' Figure 2),;apassage 15| in the lower part .of vtheseparator.andthrough a. central ehamber;52 in the bodyi member of the separatontoa pipe 53 connected tothe top of theseparator. Thevpipepcanbe connected to any suitable vreceptacle such aszastorage tank. Betweenxthe chamber. 52fand the. pipeis ya. check valve, 54;?for preventing any .return of air vfrom pipe 53 to the,oilreseryoltzortheseparator Y Thetop ofthe stator member is provided with an integral enlarged portion 55 in whichisleinbodied astepped bore..56, the,axis of which is at rightangles lto th'egaxis ofntheppening 2 in the stator member.V One Vend of thisA bore communicates with the yintelior of the' opening of v the'stjator member byiway of a passage 51, the opengendcf saidpassagejorming the inletport tothe compressor VThe'other, endofthel Vbore communicates -gwith atmosphere, by-way oa pipe Wanden air cleaner 59; (SeeFgure 1).. Adja. centthis 1atte11e11dl ofrthebore is a valvel seat 60.

whichhascooperating therewith a valveelement 6| carried by a stem member 6,2. The valve` is normally biased to open positionby a spring 63 positioned in the bore, said ,spring abutting against the end `oranadjustable member 64 which is threaded in a closure plug 6510i the bore. Thus byadjusting thernemberfl, the ltension of the spring can be varied.;This adjustable member also carries a .check va1veE6through which the air mustflowin coming from Vthe air cleaner .tol the inlet port, thecheck valve being employedl Vfor preventing` a vblow-back of ,air un-.

from thev compressor through the' inlet -port der certain operating conditions. ,Y e

The purposexofvalve6l `is tocut Qffi the intakek of air toV the, compressor and thus unload the compressor and it isdesirablathat it be operated when the air pressure developed by the compressorreaches a predeterminedyalue say,Y for ex,-v ample, one hundred pounds pr square inch. kInjr order to accomplish this valve closing against the action `of spring 63, the valve stem member 62 has associated therewith a diaphragm 61 positioned in a chamber 68 formed by a plate member 69 bolted to the stator member at the end of bore 56. Communicating with chamber 68 is a passage 10 in the body of plate member 69 which has connected theretola passage 1| drilled in the body of the statory member.v Also drilled 10 in the stator member is an angular passage 12 ;communicating with passage 1|, said passage 12 "extending t the face of the stator member `which cooperates with the end plate member 3 (see Figures 3 and 5). Passage 12 in turn communicates with adrilled passage 13 in the end v1 i plate .aligned with the end of a passage 14 ex- Vtending through the body of the oil separator to a point above the check valve 54. Thus it is seen that. by passages to 14, chamber 68 is in constant lcommunication with pipe 53 and the storage tank which receives compressed air from the compressor. Thus when this compressed `air reaches a predetermined value,it causesdia-` phragm 61 to move, over-coming the action of spring 63 and causing seatingA of valve element 6|. No more .air can enter the compressor. Whenever air is used from the storage tank in a suiiicient amount to lower the pressure of the compressedY air to; such Larvalue that spring3 can overcome the forcegacting on the valve stem member bythe compressedjair; the valve element 6| will again be opened andfthe. compressor allowed to Operate tocompressadditional. air.'

Whenever the Acompressoris unloaded,v that'fis, the valve elementllosed, itjis not desirable to haveA the oil in the oilgreservoir under, `pressure as such forces too great aguantity; of oil to ,the working V.partsof the; eompressorjwhere itjwillaccumulate inthe chambers and must be forced out before the compressor can begin to.

portion 5 5; ofthe statormember. passage 15 i*i'lrturncommunicates with aA second drilled passage :11 at right angles andAv extending to, the

top of the enlarged portion; 55,-jfPositioned on the, top .pf Ythis* enlarged-portion fis a capmember 18 irilwhch is a passage l19 so arranged-,as to com?. municate with passage 11 when;th e cap is .in-po Sion.. The @api-Carries @cylindrical-portion.80

extending into a bore, 8l iuStabOi/e 10.02856.. .Bore

3| `cor/nmunicates with" bore56 by means ofhanv passage .1.9 in; the, Cap bi1-...means ef antopenise 8.3. and with a .drilled passaaeby. .mea-ns @if opening 85tlhe flatter. piifssage1 communicating withthe.- atmosphere-kthroughlpipe 58 Vand' the` air cleaner. rThe opening 83 isrormal1y closed by valve element 86 which is inthe form of a pistonY slidable l in the' cylindrilsallI extension. .A spring 81 of prede valver element closed.

press air @ad Hice-ir vhh'lSi-'the .cem'pressr will be forced Vout, thuscreating asub-atmospheri'- pressure in the; cllpressorf f T s, Sghatmospheric-pressure is Ialsol present in bore 56.

and bore 8.1y Linl V.whichfthepvalv'e element.

sure will1 no longer'be acting on the -ol;therein,

When valve elementl.' isclosved to lirfil'oad'4 compressor, they compressor will no longer' coms stationed; Subj-statement'- pressure u j gether with the; pressureacting` on the valve elementby .wayof `passages. 19, 151,716; and .'lilvzill cause the. valve'- elementi tio. ybecomeunseated against the. actioni of spring aLl-thus; placingthe reservoirin .cpmmunicationwith the atmosphere. When the oil reservoir is undertvatmospheric pres.- sure, the rate of flow of4 oil tothe working parts of the compressor will be substantially dimin-Y ished. i

f From the foregoing;deseriptionpf .my improved compressor, it isl seen thatiga very compactstructure has. been produced 11iwhich marais-,fno pipi,-v ing on the exterior ofthe structure: therequired passages leading to and; fromg the com,- pressonthe reservoir, the oil,,sc eparator,1and.the` unloading valve mechandsmare formedby ,drilled holes in various parts. `The compressor may be very quickly disassembledif'deisred. The drivr ing shaft can be removed separatelyY Without thenecessity of removing thei'end plate membery 4..- Also, if it is'. desired ,toI replace an oil filter, this can be easily accomplished by merely removing` onel nut. It is also to :be particularly noted that in the structure just describedonlyone bearing support is employedfor mountingthe rotor shaft; and that this isA in one end plate only. f By employing the rotor shaft andA rotor mounting shown the rotor will` be caused torotate upon theend portion of the shaftand the only wear which. will take place will be uniformly' 'distributedvbef tweentheshaftand rotor. over the surface. with whichthey are in contact.` Once the shaft4 isin position, it will 'not become cocked when wear takes place and thus result in the rotor scoring the end plates or thestator. Also, due to the consruction of the stator and rotor shaft 9 most of the wear on the rotor shaft Will occur at the lower side of the shaft due to the fact that the rotor is being pushed upwardly by the compressed air in the compressing compartment near the ibottom of the rotor. Due to the lubricating arrangement, oil will always be freely fed to the surface of the rotor shaft and since this will be at the point of greatest wearing pressure, the Wear will be minimized.

The arrangement is also such that in assembling the compressor it is not necessary to first assemble, disassemble, and then reassemble in order to get the parts properly aligned, particularly the close point between the stator and rotor. The stator can be properly located by merely employing a dowel pin 88 (Figure 2). The hole in the end plate member 3 for receiving the dowel pin 88 can be accurately measured from the axis of bore which receives the rotor shaft. The hole in the stator member which receives the dowel pin can also be accurately determined.

Thus during assembly all that need be done to have the end plate properly p-ositioned with respect to the stator to obtain the desired close point is to put the doWel pin either in the stator or in the end plate and .position the other member to receive the dowel pin. Any slight relative shifting between the end plate and the stator during the bolting of the end plate to the stator will make practically no change in the close pom The construction is also adapted for water cooling of the oil reservoir if such should be found necessary. All that need vbe done is to remove the cover plate l I and replace it with one having a water jacket.

Being aware of the possibility of modifications in the particular structure herein described without departing from the fundamental principles of-:Fmy/invention; l2 do' not-intend that; tsf-scope" be limitedexcept. asset forthzby the. appended ClLIIISr Having fully: described my inventio claim' as new and` desire toi secureiby Patentiof; the United YState's':is:l .i

1. In axrotaryicompressonl. astator ,member having arotor receiving openingand with'rabore" at rightfmgles.v to theopeningpsaidrboie having alfluid inlet, at' one endand. beingconne'cteditatl the other i endf` .to the: openings.'@toA aformian' :inlet port for the latter end plates xedto'thest'ator; a rotor shaftpa rotor;mounted` on. the shaftY and provided :wtl'iblade's,y means -iforfdriving therotors said, driving. means removably. Y secured gto. said rotor; means comprising unloadingrpvalve .mecha-, mism Contained 'in ihetorc ,for preveotinafiuidfr from passingtherethrough to thecompresserinlet sort when' the Compressor bastasse@ ste-r determined fluid pressure toY be; develope@ and` ports communicating with, the bore. and :formed partly in the stator member andfpartly in ,thelend plata 4 2. In aV rotary.

" Letters Compressor, 'afstfator having a rotor receiving opening andA with, a ore at right angles thereto, said bore having '.ajuidj inlet :at one end and being corinectedattheother" end'tothe openingtoi' lforman inletport of the compressor, end plates flxed'to tl'1e"statc r,` a rotor` shaft, a rotor mounted on the shaft and provided; with blades, `means for drivingthejrotor,saidl driving means andsaid rotor' having interengagi ing slotted portions tojope'ratively zonnect*same` together, ^avalvele'ont'ained in itheibofre'inf the stator member for preventing ovvof -uid' freni'v the bore inlet to the compressor inlet port, a spring in said bore for biasing the valve to open position, a uid motor for closing the valve, and means comprising drilled passages in the stator and end plate for placing the motor in communication with fluid under pressure developed by the compressor.

3. In a rotary compressor, a stator casting provided with removable ends, a non-rotary shaft carried by one of said ends in eccentric relation to the stator, a rotor having radially movable blades mounted on said shaft, said rotor having end teeth, a shaft bearing removably mounted in the other stator end and provided with end teeth engaging with the end teeth of the rotor, a driving shaft having a non-circular portion engaging with the bearing, a pulley on the driving shaft,'and a removable member secured to the second namedv end for holding the teeth of the bearing in engagement with the teeth of the rotor.

4. In a rotary compressor, a stator casting provided with removable ends, a non-rotary shaft carried by one of said ends in eccentric relation to the stator, a rotor having radially movable blades mounted on said shaft, said rotor having end teeth, a shaft bearing removably mounted in the other stator end and provided with end teeth engaging With the end teeth of the rotor, a driving shaft having a non-circular portion engaging with the bearing, a pulley on the driving shaft, a sealing ring contacting the outer face of the bearing, removable means for retaining the sealing ring in position, and spring-actuated means carried by the rotor shaft for biasing the bearing against said sealing ring.

5. In a rotary compressor, a stator casting provided With removable ends, a non-rotary shaft carried by one of said ends in eccentric relation to thel stator, a rotor having radially movable bladesi mounted on said shaft, an oil reservoir in the end carrying the shaft, a filter chamber in theportion of the shaft locatedin sai'd'end, a tubular lter of less diameter than the chamber positioned therein', an oil .passage leading from the interior of the filter to the periphery of the shaft within the rotor, a secondoil passage leading from the exterior of the filter to the reservoir, and `means for securing the shaft against rotation, said locking means also closing the lter chamber.

6. In a rotary compressor, an integral stator casting having formed therein a circularrotor chamber and a transverse valve bore, said bore communicating adjacent one end with the chamber and adjacent the other with the atmosphere, a primary unloading valve controlling said latter communication, duid-operated means for closing said primary valve including a removable retaining plate, a removable end -plate for the casting carrying a rotor with sliding blades eccentrically mounted in said chamber, and a port for said uld-operated means, said port being formedy partly in the casting, partly` in the end plate and partly in the retaining plate. f '1. In a rotary compressor, an integral stator casting having formed therein a circular rotor chamber and a transverse valve bore, said bore communicating adjacent one end with the charnber and adjacent the other with the atmosphere, a primary unloading valve controlling said latter communication, Huid-operated means for closingsaid primary Valve including a removable retaining,v plate, a removable end plate for the casting carrying a rotor with sliding blades ec centrically mounted in saidy chamber, an Yoil separatorincluding a supporting plate removably secured to the end plate, and a port for said fluid-operated means, said port being formed partly inthe casting, partly in the end plate, partlyvfin the retaining plate and partly in the supporting plate. Y'

8.-.1In a rotary compressor, an integral stator castingfhaving formed therein a circular rotor chamber-and a transverse valve bore, saidv bore communicating adjacent one end with the cham berand adjacent the other with the atmosphere, a removable end plate for the casting carrying a rotor with sliding blades eccentrically mounted in said chamber, a secondary unloading valve mechanism communicating with the bore; a cap for retaining said'secondary valve mechanism, and a port for the latter formed partly in the casting, partly in the end plate and partly in the Cap;

9. In a rotary compressor, a stator, end plates xed to the stator, a rotor supporting shaft xed toone'end plate andY projecting into the stator with its axis eccentric to the axis of the stator, a rotor including blades rotatably mounted on the-shaft, a driving shaft mounted in the other end plate in axial alignment with the rotor shaft, means including interengaging toothed members for connecting the driving shaft to the rotor, and sealing means between the driving shaft and said other end plate.

WALTER R. FREEMAN. 

